


The Blackbird

by rubywallace25



Series: Words Out and Lights Gone [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:54:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 9,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24440026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubywallace25/pseuds/rubywallace25
Summary: A series of Drabbles that pop into my head that I then write on my phone.
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Marlene McKinnon/Original Female Character(s), Mary Macdonald/Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Series: Words Out and Lights Gone [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1780561
Comments: 17
Kudos: 19





	1. The Blackbird

Remus Lupin sits in a darkened corner of The Leaky Cauldron nursing a flat butterbeer between his tense fingers.

He surpresses the desire to look down at his watch cautious that it may give the game away.

She's not coming.

A wave of relief swells inside his chest.

He'd been having second thoughts ever since he'd sent the owl.

No harm done.

Remus is about to slip out from behind the table when the Blackbird lands in front of him.

He studies the bird for a moment, and for it's part it appears as if the Blackbird is just as interested in him, one brown eye cautiously watching him.

The Blackbird is a female with light brown feathers, which touch on gold and a band of freckles just above it's beak.

Do Blackbirds have freckles, Remus finds himself wondering...

Across the sticky surface of the table the Blackbird pushes a note towards Remus.

Carefully his fingers unfold the piece of paper, which simply says...

COME UPSTAIRS.

With the note delivered the Blackbird takes flight, unfolding it's wings and flitting quickly out of the pub, through an open window.

Remus stares at the piece of paper before him.

If could be a trap, but on the other hand...

In his head he hears Sirius' voice telling him to 'just bloody go and find out'.

Pocketing the piece of paper Remus finishes his butterbeer and makes his way across the pub towards the creaky old staircase, which leads to the rooms above.

Remus swallows thickly, his foot on the edge of the first step.


	2. The Laurel Wand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I chose laurel as Mary's wand wood as I thought it suited the version of her personality I have in my head.
> 
> This is what Pottermore says about Laurel wands.
> 
> Wandlore
> 
> It is said that a laurel wand cannot perform a dishonourable act, although in the quest for glory (a not uncommon goal for those best suited to these wands), laurel wands have been known to perform powerful and sometimes lethal magic. Laurel wands are sometimes called fickle, but this is unfair; the laurel wand is unable to tolerate laziness in a possessor, and it is in such conditions that it is most easily and willingly won away.
> 
> Otherwise, it will cleave happily to its first match forever, and indeed has the unusual and engaging attribute of issuing a spontaneous lightning strike if another witch or wizard attempts to steal it.

Mary feels as if she's suddenly under water.

Her heart pounds as her sweat slicked palm tightens on the hilt of her laurel wand.

Duelling at school had been fun, even easy, but this, this is the real thing.

No laughing, or showing off, just a brutal fight for survival.

Dorcus is next to her breathing hard.

Mary's brain feels sluggish as she attempts to recall half remembered curses and defensive spells.

And then he steps forward out of the shadows...The Dark Lord.

Mary can't breathe.

He's smiling, but not at her, he's smiling at Dorcus.

The green light eminates from the tip of his wand.

Mary reaches for Dorcus' hand and attempts to apparate away from the killing curse.

Mary MacDonald feels her body tare itself almost in half as Dorcus' fingers go limp in her grasp.

James has paired Lily with Peter...

It's not that Lily doesn't like Peter it's just after James, she would have preferred Marlene or Remus, at least with either of those two there would be conversation.

But it could be worse she supposes, it could be Sirius.

Lily's not blind she knows the way Sirius feels about James, even if James doesn't.

Lily thinks...

A sudden scream breaks Lily's train of thought.

"Mary!"

Peter screams.

Lily strains to see what only Peter can at first.

Another scream echoes through the tree line.

"Peter, wait!" 

Lily calls after him.

Part of her wants to hang back where at least there is some safety, but Peter, Lily watches him run ahead and knows in her heart that James would never forgive her if Wormy died.

So she runs after him in the direction of the blood curdling screams.


	3. The Splinching

Lily is running so hard she feels as if her heart is about to explode.

Faster and faster her feet crunch across the fallen leaves, half tripping over upturned roots.

She's lost sight of Peter despite the fact that she is considerably thinner and faster.

The sounds of the screaming gets louder with each step that Lily takes and then...

Lily is brought up short by the sight before her.

Blood on the leaves.

Mary MacDonald has been splinched.

Covered in blood she wails in agony as Peter attempts to comfort her.

Lily's green eyes shift from Mary's broken body to the sight of Dorcus who is lying next to her.

Hands outstretched and her eyes wide open, staring but not seeing, Lily knows instantly that Dorcus is dead.

"Dorcus."

She whispers softly and takes a step towards the body of her friend.

"Lily!"

The sound of Peter desperately calling her name snaps Lily back into the moment, Dorcus doesn't need her now.

Falling down onto her knees next to Peter, Lily attempt to examine the still screaming Mary.

"Mary, it's alright, but you, you must let us see."

Lily's voice takes on a caring yet firm tone as she attempts to reason with her agonized friend.

Mary rolls herself into a ball in Peter's arms and begins to shudder as the colour drains away from her face.

Lily recognises that Mary is going into shock.

Her eyes find Dorcus' lifeless body again.

Lily has already lost one friend and she's not prepared to lose another.

"What should we do, what should we do?"

Peter begins to panic at the sight of his injured girlfriend.

Lily knows that she has to take charge of the situation before Mary bleeds to death and Peter loses all control completely.

"We can't stay here, Mary needs treatment urgently. We have to get back to the cottage."

Lily rests one blood stained hand on Peter's shoulder.

"But Mary..."

Apparating and disapparating is a tricky skill to manage at the best of times, and this is decidedly not the best of times, but what other choice do they have?

Lily makes her mind up.

"Mary will die if she stays here."

This statement appears to decide things as Peter's face takes on a less panicked expression.

"You, you do it, I can't."

Peter stutters weakly.

Lily had a feeling that he would say that, since their class on apparating and diapparating had been the only lesson in, which she had received anything less than top marks.

In fact Lily Evan's had failed.

You must do this she tells herself.

And then she sees it, Dorcus' wand, which is still tight within her friend's grasp.

Taking a deep breath Lily slips the wand from Dorcus' hand.

They never know when another wand might be needed. Dorcus would want this.

Whatever lies Lily tells herself she knows in the end that this is war and war makes people callous.

"Sleep tight."

Lily whispers softly as she closes Dorcus' staring eyes with her fingers.

They have to leave Dorcus behind, Lily doesn't posses the skill to bring all of them back with her.

Lily thinks of James and closes her eyes holding on to Peter as if her life depends upon it.

James, James, James...


	4. The Cottage

James sits at the table only half listening to the heated argument raging between Sirius and Marlene.

All he can think about is Dorcus and how he'd almost considered pairing Lily with her instead of Mary.

He shudders at the memory of Mary as she'd been carried into the cottage by Peter, her face so pale that James had thought she was dead before she'd started to scream.

Lily had been covered in blood.

It could have been Lily, not Mary, the thought ticks over in his mind.

He hates himself for being secretly relieved.

That odd feeling of guilt begins to well up inside him.

And then he thinks of Dorcus left alone in the middle of a forest her location never quite remembered.

They can't even collect her body to give her a half decent send off.

James wonders if he'd been wrong about Dorcus.

He'd thought that she had been a gifted witch and yet she was dead after her third mission with the order.

"It was Voldermort."

Lily's voice cuts through everything else.

Even Sirius and Marlene pause.

James gets up from his chair and watches as Lily shuffles into the room followed closely by Remus.

They were the best at healing and had been the ones to treat Mary.

She's been crying, Lily's eyes are rimmed with red and without a moments hesitation James crosses the room and wraps his arms around her.

"Voldermort killed Dorcus himself."

Lily explains weakly as she stares up into James' face her green eyes filled with tears.

James studies her face, the heavy bags under her eyes, the flaking skin on her cheeks and the tip of her nose, all signs of the extreme stress that they are living under but not fear, there is no trace of fear on Lily's face.

"How is Mary?"

Marlene asks breaking the tension that has fallen over the group.

James watches as Lily carefully wipes her tears away against the back of her hands before she turns to face her best friend.

"We managed to stop the bleeding, it was mostly superficial, hopefully there won't be any muscle damage. But Mary will be out of commission for the foreseeable."

This is a blow, essentially losing two members on the same mission.

"I want to see her. I want to know what went wrong."

Marlene tearfully demands.

"Peter is with her."

Remus pipes up from the corner of the room.

"Why, didn't he kill them both? How was Mary able to escape?"

Learn to read the room James thinks at Sirius' question.

Sirius ploughs on regardless.

"Dorcus was a better witch than Mary. Let's face it Mary's only here because she's Peter's girlfriend,"

Marlene makes an audible grunt at this.

James sees the danger between the pair as Marlene's fingers tighten on the hilt of her wand.

She's been desperate to take the grief of the deaths of her Mother and Brother out on someone for weeks and Sirius is practically volunteering himself for the role.

And then Lily speaks.

"He killed Dorcus because she was Muggleborn. He was sending us a message and he used Mary like an owl."

Marlene loosens her grip on her wand and collapses into a nearby chair in floods of tears.

Lily slips out of James' arms to comfort her friend.

"It's not fair."

Marlene sobs bitterly.

Making his way around the table Sirius moves away from the two women and towards James beckon Remus to follow him with a nod of his head.

"We need to start recruiting, again."

Sirius tells them in a low voice.

"Don't you think it's a little soon."

James wonders aloud, despite agreeing with his best friend.

Remus is mute.

"The finer sentiments can wait until after the war, we need fighters now, gifted witches and wizards like Dorcus."

James knows that Sirius is right.

"Kingsley Shacklebolt could be persuaded. He's on the fence, but I reckon I could give him a big hard shove over to our side. And Frank and Alice,"

"Didn't they just get married?"

James asks cautiously catching sight of Lily just over Sirius' shoulder.

"So what. Can you think of a better way to spend a honeymoon?"

With this sentiment James turns his attention away from Lily and instead catches Remus' gaze.

This is your boyfriend he thinks.

"I think I might know someone."

Remus finally adds and James watches as Sirius is taken aback by this admission.

"Who?"

Sirius demands.

"Just someone who may be interested in joining the order."

Remus shrugs.


	5. The Star and The Wolf

Sirius' smoke rings mingle with the star filled sky.

"Is it that one?"

He asks as he traces his fingers through the cool autumnal night air, jabbing at a particular constellation as he searches for his star.

Taking one last deep inhale of his cigarette Sirius flicks the burning ember out of sight.

"No."

Remus says in a tired voice.

Their heads rest together side by side as they lay on the ground and stare up at the sky.

At times like this it's easy to forget about the war, about Dorcus, about his family, everything just has a habit of fading away when he's next to Remus.

Sirius narrows sqints at the stars, which all look the same to him.

"That one?"

Remus makes that tutting noise under his breath.

"Where you always this bad at Astronomy, or have I just forgotten?"

Remus asks.

He grabs Sirius by the wrist and points his finger in the correct destination for his star.

"Time has dulled your senses, Moony."

Sirius smiles.

He let's his index finger stretch up into the sky so that it almost feels that he can touch the star with the tip of his finger.

Remus keeps his hand wrapped around Sirius' wrist and for the longest time neither of them speak.

"I do care."

Sirius breaks the silence.

"I know what Marly thinks that I don't care about what happened to Dorcus, but I do. She was a sweet girl and,"

Remus leans in and stops Sirius' mouth with a kiss.

"I know."

Remus whispers once they finally part.

"When I saw Wormy with Mary all I could think about was you. The look on his face. I don't want to ever look or feel like that about you."

Sirius shakely exhales the words.

His finger slips from the sky to tangle it's way into the fabric of Remus' oversized jumper.

"I know, I feel the same."

There's an invisible 'but' concealed within Remus' words.

But there's a war on...

But people die...

"If there was no war, what do you think we'd be doing with our lives?"

Sirius asks.

"I don't want to play this game."

Remus sighs heavily.

Sirius persists as he always does.

"I reckon I would have finished my Auror training with James."

Remus snorts at this.

"You were on a final warning after your second week."

Sirius shrugs this statement of fact off.

"What would you be doing then?"

He playfully challenges Remus.

Sirius rolls his weight onto his side and rests his chin against his palm so that he's better able to watch Remus' face.

"I might have been a teacher."

Remus admits weakly, giving in.

Sirius tries to hide the smile from his face.

He thinks about them living in Hogsmead, close to The Three Broomsticks off for a pint after work every night.

Sirius can almost see the tantalising hint of normal life stretching out before them.

"I was offered a job."

Remus flushes.

Sirius is surprised by this admission.

"At Hogwarts?"

He asks full of curiosity.

Remus looks evasive.

"No."

He mutters weakly.

The picture of the little house in Hogsmead fades, while Sirius tries to replace it with...with what?

Ilvermorny, possibly.

Beauxbatons, no Remus is far too scruffy.

"Surely, you haven't gone and got yourself a job at Durmstrang?"

The worst possible scenario, although the idea of Remus dishing out the sort of magical punishments that the students of Durmstrang are expected to submit to does do something to Sirius.

"No, it's a place called St. Oswald's."

St.Oswald's the name doesn't ring a bell.

And then...

"A Muggle school?"

What Sirius wouldn't give to be able to inform his parents that his werewolf boyfriend was going to be teaching at a Muggle school.

They'd probably do him a favour and both drop dead.

Oh the shame for the Noble and Ancient House of Black.

"When did you start applying for jobs at Muggle schools? What are you going to teach?"

Sirius asks excitedly.

"It doesn't matter now."

Remus says, before adding sheepishly.

"English."

Ah books, Remus reads to much in Sirius' opinion.

"It's academic."

Remus adds.

And despite everything Sirius finds himself bursting into laughter.

It doesn't take long for Remus to join him.

They laugh long and hard into the night sky at all the futures won and lost and all the things that will never be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really want to write the AU where Sirius is an Auror and Remus works as an English teaches in a Muggle school.


	6. The Invalid

Carrying the empty bowl from Mary's dinner Remus makes his way into the kitchen, which rings with the sound of laughter and appears to glow in the warmth of the roaring fire.

How different it all is from the room that he has just left.

There's an empty seat for him next to Sirius, because that's where he always sits...next to Sirius.

As Remus discards the bowl in the nearby sink he watches his friends, his family, the people he holds the dearest.

James, Marlene and Sirius are enjoying a lively debate on the various tactics of the various teams from the various Quidditch World Cups through the ages.

Perhaps he overused the word various.

The three of them laugh together as Marlene levitates a pepper pot with her wand.

The animosity between Sirius and Marlene appears to have passed for now at least.

Remus' gaze shifts to the other end of the table where Lily and Peter appear to be furiously planning meals for what appears to be the next month.

Remus can't help but notice the two empty chairs either side of Lily and Peter.

The seats that once belonged to Dorcus and Mary.

Remus crosses the room and settles into the space next to Sirius.

Leaning forward he whispers close to Sirius' ear.

"Mary, would like to see you."

To say that Remus was slightly disappointed when Sirius asked to be paired with Mary instead of himself is something of an understatement.

And the fact that it keeps on happening watch after watch is beginning to fray his nerves.

He's not jealous he has to keep reminding himself.

He's not jealous like Peter.

And yet watching Sirius and Mary depart in the direction of the woods every other night does strange things to his brain.

Remus trusts Sirius, he reminds himself.

And being paired off with Sirius is clearly having a positive effect of Mary whose looked brighter than she has in the weeks since she was splinched.

The problem is that Sirius and Mary look like the perfect couple.

They're both so beautiful.

In comparison Remus thinks of himself and Peter, scarred and dumpy, they must look like a joke.

On a particularly bad night Remus decides to follow the pair to discover once and for all if he's being a complete and utter prat.

He counts down in his head from twenty before he slips out of the cottage and into the woods following Sirius and Mary's well worn trail.

"Keep your elbows up."

Remus' ears prick up at the sound of Sirius' voice, which floats through the midnight tree line.

"I am trying."

Mary replies.

The sound of her giggle sets Remus' teeth on edge and before he can stop himself he's plunging forward.

Pausing on the edge of a clearing making sure to keep out of sight Remus watches as Sirius adjusts Mary's stance tapping her elbows with his wand.

With her stance corrected Mary holds out her wand and blasts a curse in the direction of what appears to be a straw filled dummy.

"Excellent!"

Sirius exclaims excitedly as he dashes off to examine the scorch mark.

"Did I get it?"

Mary asks breathlessly.

"I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of one of your curses. "

Sirius calls back.

Sirius has been teaching Mary how to duel at this revelation Remus feels elated and guilty all at the same time.

Carefully he slips from view before Sirius or Mary spot him.

Sirius regards Remus from the corner of his eye.

Mary wants to see him, it can't be anything good, they've never shared a proper conversation without Remus or Peter or Lily being around to act as a buffer.

His gaze shoots to Peter and he wonders if that little traitor has let slip about what he'd said about Mary's contribution to The Order.

Finishing of his butterbeer he rests his hand lightly over Remus' before he drags himself up and out of his chair.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Marlene asks.

"I've drunk three pints of butterbeer where do you think I'm going, Marly?"

"Off to plan his losing strategy in the loo."

James chips in.

Sirius shrugs this off with his favourite Muggle hand gesture, which causes most of the table to collapse in a fit of laughter.

He catches Remus' reassuring gaze briefly before he leaves the kitchen.

Sirius pauses outside of the bedroom door that Peter and Mary share, and then he turns the handle.

He stops on the threshold of the bedroom feeling as if he's about to pass through some invisible barrier between childhood and being a fully fledged adult, because although he's spent the last 7 years listening to Peter's droning snore, this is something different because this is the room that his best friend shares with his girlfriend.

Sirius takes a step forward and doesn't instantly combust so making his way fully into the room he closes the door carefully behind him.

The bedroom smells of dittany, and unlike the room he shares with Remus, Peter and Mary have clearly 'moved in'.

Remus refuses to let Sirius unpack in case they have to move again in a hurry.

Mary sits propped up on pillows in the middle of the bed swathed in one of Lily's cardigans and looking deathly pale and bedraggled.

"Thank you for coming, Sirius."

Mary says in a weak voice.

Dragging a chair from the corner of the room Sirius makes himself comfortable.

And then he waits for the rebuke.

"Pete told me what you said,"

Here it comes, Sirius thinks.

"And I know that you're right."

Sirius almost falls off his chair.

"I'm not a very good witch and I am only here because of Pete. You're the only one who isn't afraid to tell me the truth."

Mary says thickly her eyes brimming with tears.

Sirius feels suddenly dreadful and without thinking he finds himself on the bed next to Mary.

"I didn't mean any of the things that I said. I'm a bit."

Mary shakes her head.

"If I had been a better witch then Dorcus might not be dead."

Not for one moment does Sirius believe that to be the truth.

"Mary,"

He begins to speaks but is silenced as Mary slips her wand into his hand.

Sirius stares at it, the only wand that he has ever held other than his own is Remus'.

"Have I lost my wand, do you think that Bellatrix won it from me?"

Mary asks desperately.

Sirius doesn't know.

"I don't think so."

Mary's pale face appears relieved.

"I want you to teach me how to duel. I want someone to teach me who won't pander to me. I want to get better. Please Sirius will you help me?"


	7. The Sorting Hat's Mistake

As Remus makes his way to the top of the stairs in The Leaky Cauldron it suddenly occurs to him that he has no idea, which room he should be heading for.

Pulling the piece of paper that the blackbird had given him out of his pocket he studies the note again.

Come Upstairs.

The brievty of the note bothers Remus, the way it bothers him when Wormy doesn't put apostrophes in the correct places.

Oh Merlin he's such a pedant.

Remus can almost picture Sirius' face laughing up at him.

The image of Sirius quickly vanishes replaced by a tapping noise.

Remus wears prick up at the sound of a beak on glass.

Is that...is that really...is that really the chorus of David Bowie's Heroes? 

Remus follows the sound, which waxes and waines with each step until finally he finds himself standing in a dusty room with a large moth eaten four poster bed.

Folding the piece of paper back into his pocket Remus cautiously pulls out his wand and surveys the room.

His gaze is caught by fantastic movement from behind the mullioned windows as something moves outside of the cracked and warped panes.

Remus crosses the floor and twists the rusted window latch.

He darts back as the blackbird flutters hurriedly into the room.

Closing the window behind the bird Remus hears a familiar noise as he turns back to face the room with his wand still in hand.

The blackbird has gone and in it's place stands Seraphina Blake.

She's an animegus.

"You're an animegus."

Remus observes.

Seraphina has finally grown into her face.

Gone is the pale whey faced girl replaced by a pretty young woman.

Do you think she's pretty, Moony?

Remus hears Sirius' voice in the back of his head, and he feels an instant pang of guilt.

"Yes, but I am still quite new to it all. I'm only the sixth person to become an animegus in this century."

You're actually the ninth, Remus corrects her mentally.

"I work for the animegus registry, I thought you knew?"

Remus' brain stalls at the thought of Sirius, James and Peter being carted off to Azkaban, and all because he'd been to sloppy to find out, which department within The Ministry Seraphina worked for.

Remus would rather face a hoard of Death Eaters than let slip the wrong thing to this woman as he knows that Sirius would never forgive him if Seraphina Blake was the one to discover Padfoot.

He tries very hard not to picture the three of them Sirius, James and Peter languishing away in prison, but the harder he tries not to think of it the easier the images seem to come, until all three of his best friends are emiciated wrecks and Peter has died after the second week.

Stop thinking about it, for all you know she's a bloody legilimens as well.

However Seraphina doesn't appear to be reading his mind, but she is looking at him in that same old way that makes him feel as if he's the last sugar quill in Honeydukes.

Remus feels suddenly aware of the four poster bed in the room.

"It's so good to hear from you Remus, I can't tell you what receiving your owl meant to me."

Seraphina exclaims excitedly.

She moves forward and Remus instantly moves back feeling the window latch pressing into his back.

It's always been like this one step forward, one step back.

Seraphina pauses.

"Do you ever see anyone from school?"

Seraphina asks hurriedly.

Remus doesn't say that he's currently living in secret with seven of his old classmates.

Seraphina continues nervously.

"I still see Dirk, Dirk Cresswell and Emmeline Vance, they were both in Ravenclaw and in my year, so I don't know if you remember them?"

Remus can't picture Dirk or Emmeline clearly, but he does remember that a pair of Ravenclaws a boy and a girl, appeared to be the only friends that Seraphina ever really had.

He remembers the way Sirius delighted in teasing Seraphina, telling her as often as he could that The Sorting Hat had made a mistake by sorting her into Gryffindor.

Sirius had been jealous, and the jealous side of Sirius had been ugly and cruel, and yet, and yet...

"I don't think I do."

Remus sighs softly.

This was a mistake.

Whatever made him think that he could bring Seraphina into The Order, especially with Sirius, it would be the undoing of all.

It would be all his fault, again.

Remus had felt left out as everyone else had submitted their opinions on a replacement for Dorcus, he'd wanted to contribute something and he'd also liked the idea of keeping Sirius and James guessing about the identity of his candidate.

But surely the positives must out way the negatives, she must be a brilliant witch to have become an animegus, and not only that but her ability to become a bird and a small one at that, would give them valuable eyes in the sky.

Sirius' face floats before him a warning.

Remus has come this far, and he won't turn back.

"Seraphina can, I can I talk to you about something important?"


	8. Going Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if anyone is reading this, but thank you if you are.

It's dark.

He should have been back by now.

Sirius does everything he can think of to distract himself from the fact that Remus hasn't returned.

If Remus had only said where he was going, but no, Sirius has no idea how or where to find him.

Sirius feels horribly disconnected from the events taking place in the room around him, as if some part of him is suddenly missing.

He glances down at his limbs to check if anything is missing, but there he sits with two arms and two legs.

Dumbledore concludes the meeting and Sirius watches as Lily escorts their leader out of the cottage.

It's so dark now, Sirius can feel the night pressing in against the windows.

"Cheer up Pads."

James says in a tone that makes Sirius want to punch him.

Would you cheer up if it was Lily, Sirius thinks darkly to himself.

Peter is nodding along with James, and Sirius would cheerfully like to punch him too.

Sirius is on the point of telling his two of his best friends exactly where they can go, when he hears a familiar voice.

"Well, I'm sorry that I missed seeing Dumbledore."

Sirius hears Remus say to Lily as the pair make their way back inside the cottage.

At the sight of Remus Sirius' inner Padfoot begins to mentally wag his tail.

He holds himself back from reacting instantly, not wanting to give James or Peter the satisfaction of watching Sirius gush over Remus' return.

"What time do you call this, Pads was starting to climb the walls."

James addresses Remus with a gaffaw, which earns him a playful clip on the back of his head from Lily.

"Oh leave them alone, James."

Lily teases.

"Listen to that, bloody favouritism!"

James exclaims excitedly as he leaps up from his chair and wraps his arms around Lily's waist assaulting her with tickles.

Peter laughs at James and Lily's antics.

"James, get off!" 

Lily pleads through hysterical giggles.

With James, Lily and Peter otherwise engaged Sirius decides to escape the confines of the kitchen for the bedroom he shares with Remus.

"Peter help me, pass me my wand!"

Lily gasps desperately.

Sirius is waving his wand over his rucksack when a laughing Remus finally joins him in their bedroom.

"Poor old Prongs, he'll never learn."

Remus observes indulgently.

Sirius looks at him darkly, standing there with his ridiculously long face, and his scruffy robes, and...and he's so bloody tall.

"Oof!"

Remus makes a surprised sound as Sirius backs him up against the bedroom door with his tongue shoved down Remus' throat.

Sirius pours all of the fluctuating emotions he's felt since Remus departed and finally returned into the kiss.

It's only been five hours, but Remus has died a thousand times in Sirius' imagination.

With a fatalistic bent, or perhaps realistic given the fact that they are in the midst of fighting a losing war, when Sirius' dies he wants Remus to be there.

Together or not at all.

It's a horribly morbid thought and has no place in kissing.

"Not that I'm complaining,"

Remus asks, breathing heavily as he stares down into Sirius' face.

",but what's going on?"

Remus concludes his question.

Sirius ignores this question because the truth is he doesn't know how to answer it.

"Dumbledore suggested that we should go home."

Uncharacteristically Sirius is the one to do the deflecting in their conversation, usually that's Remus' role.

Sirius watches as a terrible look of panic falls across Remus' face.

"It's not over is it?"

Remus asks painfully.

Sirius' heart aches.

"No. No. Never."

Sirius says as he punctuates each word with a kiss.

Sirius feels the familiar ridges of the scars across Remus' face under his lips.

Together or not at all.

"We're going home. Marlene has already left. James, Peter and Lily are going to stay here to look after Mary. Dumbledore suggested that keeping such a low profile might be drawing more attention to The Order."

Sirius let's it sink in and waits for Remus to respond.

"We can really go home? I mean back to your flat?"

Remus' voice sounds pathetically hopeful.

For the life of him Sirius doesn't understand why Remus always has the refer to what is clearly 'their flat' by calling it 'his flat'.

Yes, it may be true that Sirius had started living in the flat during their 6th year at Hogwarts, but it's also true that Remus had moved in immediately after they'd graduated and that they've been living together ever since.

"Yes."

Sirius grins.

No James or Peter or Lily or Marlene or Mary.

Just the two of them.

Remus grins back at him having clearly reached the same conclusion.

"Shall we go then?"

Remus asks.

"Without even saying goodbye, Moony, you are a dark horse."

Sirius turns his back on Remus and with a wave of his wand both his rucksack and Remus' battered old case appears in each of their hands.

"See, aren't you feeling the benefit now, from my suggestion to never unpack anything?"

Now standing side by side Sirius rolls his eyes at Remus' statement.

CRACK.

Remus rests one arm across Sirius' shoulder and the pair apparate out of the bedroom.


	9. The McKinnons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay so in my head Marlene's family are played by the following people:
> 
> Marlene-Olivia Cooke.  
> Mum-Orla Brady.  
> Rory-Matthew Beard.  
> Dad-Julian Barratt.  
> Alfie- Douglas Booth.  
> Queenie-Gugu MBatha-Raw.  
> Denis- Jonny Sweet.
> 
> But you can of course imagine them any way that you want.
> 
> Enjoy hopefully.

CRACK

Marlene finds herself standing in the long shadow of her family home, a large 18th century farmhouse in warm buttery bathstone.

Warmth is the first word that pops in Marlene's head whenever she thinks about home.

Warm and happy and safe.

But she hasn't been home for five long months, ever since the bodies of her Mother and Brother were discovered outside the offices of The Daily Prophet, where the pair had both worked.

Since then Marlene had stayed with her two surviving brothers or members of The Order, unable to face life in the Mckinnon home without the reassuring presents of her Mum.

Marlene tucks her wand safely back into the pocket of her robes as she makes her way up the lawn towards the house.

Light blazes from the many windows upstairs and down.

Turning the handle on the front door Marlene finds herself suddenly confronted by her Mum's smiling face.

She'd forgotten about the portraits in the hall of the six McKinnons in their house colours, which her Dad had commissioned on his appointment as the head of The Office of Magical Cooperation.

The green and silver of Slytherin House for her Dad and murdered brother Rory.

The blue and bronze of Ravenclaw House for her Mum and oldest brother Alfie.

The yellow and black of Hufflepuff House for her second oldest brother Denis.

And finally the scarlet and gold of Gryffindor House for herself, the youngest child of Derek and Kate McKinnon.

Marlene's gaze flits between the faces of her Mum and Rory and for one moment all she wants to do is run away.

But before she can disapparate to somewhere less painful Marlene hears the sound of hurried footsteps ring out across the flagstone floor.

"Marly!"

She hears her name in a gasp as her older brother Alfie rushes into view.

He's changed so much since the last time that she saw him, he's thinner and has finally aloud the stubble on his face to grow into a beard.

Marlene runs to Alfie and the pair wrap their arms around each other.

She's home, finally.

"Where have you been?"

Alfie asks when the pair are finally able to speak again.

"Marlene is on the point of explaining all when two other figures appear in the hall.

Kingsley Shacklebolt and his sister Regine, who for as long as Marlene has known her has always gone by the name Queenie.

At the sight of The Shacklebolts Marlene decides to keep her own council.

"I've been travelling, didn't you get any of my owls?"

There's something else as well, before Marlene had left her home Alfie and Queenie had announced to the family that they were expecting the first McKinnon Grandchild, and Queenie now looks fit to pop at any moment.

With a terrible heavy sadness Marlene recalls how excited her Mum had been at the prospect of a much longer for Grandchild.

"Don't leave her standing in the hallway, Al."

Queenie says with a wide, indulgent smile.

"She who must be obeyed has spoken."

Alfie and Kingsley both laugh, while Marlene feels herself being steered suddenly out of the hallway by her brother.

The house opens up into the living room and Marlene sees the battered leather sofas and wooden beams that she feels she must have been dreaming about for months.

And there he stands clutching a bottle of firewhiskey in his hands, her Dad.

For the first time ever he looks old and shabby and his beard and hair are flecked with more grey than she has ever seen before.

The firewhiskey slips from his hands, but is saved from the floor by a wave of Kingsley Shacklebolt's wand.

"My girl!"

Mr Mckinnon gasps.

"My Daddy!"

Marlene particularly throws herself into her Father's arms.

"That was delicious, my complements to the chef."

Marlene says, as she finally lays down her knife and fork, unable to remember a time since she has eaten so well.

Kingsley rises up from the table and makes a neat bow, while Marlene, Alfie and Queenie give an appreciative round of applause.

"An artist is only as good as his tools, and you have a very well stocked herb garden."

Kingsley states with a grin, which rapidly fades as Mr McKinnon speaks.

"Kate always loved the garden."

The happy atmosphere around the dinner table is dramatically popped as if it had been a balloon, and Marlene once again notes the three vacant chairs around the table.

"Where's Denis?"

Marlene asks, changing the subject.

"The wards at St Mungo's have been keeping him busy, but he said he'd try to stop by before Queenie leaves."

Alfie says, as he wraps one arm around Queenie's shoulder, while resting his other hand against her rounded stomach.

The pair exchange a sad look, before turning to Marlene.

"You're leaving?"

Marlene frowns.

There's a general shifting around the table as Kingsley makes himself busy by clearing the dirty dishes away with his wand and Mr McKinnon pours himself another large measure of firewhiskey.

"I've decided to visit my Mother in Paris. She's been unwell recently and it makes more sense for me to have the baby there with her, than for her to try and visit me here."

It's a poor lie, which barely disguises the fact that Queenie has decided to go into hiding.

"You're both leaving tonight?"

Alfie and Queenie exchange another look, while Alfie sits forward in his chair.

"Not me I'm afraid, I've finally been called up to play for England at the Quidditch World Cup."

After having played as a star Chaser for Puddlemere United since leaving Hogwarts it had been a long cherished dream of Alfie's to play for England for as long as Marlene could remember.

Marlene found it hard to believe that The Quidditch World Cup would still be going ahead, and yet here she sits pretending that everything is normal and that Queenie isn't going into hiding and that her Mum and brother aren't dead because her, because she is in The Order.

Marlene's thoughts begin to darken as a voice in the back of her head whispers...

You've killed them all, you stupid girl.

The thoughts are banished from Marlene's head by the sound of a loud CRACK, followed by the shuffle of someone falling over their own robes.

Denis McKinnon strides into the room red faced and breathless.

"Denis McKinnon has entered the room assembled family members!"

Denis laughs brightly and Marlene feels her mood lift.


	10. Welcome to The Order

Marlene can't sleep.

She's not sure if this is due to the change in scenery or if it is the emotionally charged hours she has spent with her family.

In the end it doesn't really matter as the outcome is still the same with Marlene staring up at the shadow lined ceiling that is currently hovering above her.

Having had quite enough Marlene climbs out of bed, reaches for her dressing gown and leaves the confines of her childhood bedroom behind.

Out on the landing Marlene's ears prick up at the sound of a man sobbing, and she wonders if it's her Dad or Alfie who is making the noise.

Perhaps it's both of them.

She stops herself from replaying the tearful farewell between Alfie and Queenie.

They hadn't just been saying goodbye, it had felt as if they had been saying farewell, forever.

All your fault, a voice in the back of Marlene's head reminds her.

Marlene hurries along the corridor and slips soundlessly into Denis' old bedroom.

As usual the room is punctuated by the sound of her brother's heavy snores.

She fishes her wand out from the pocket of her dressing gown.

"Lumos."

The tip of Marlene's wand lights up, and she's able to gingerly cross the room, which is heaped with Denis' abandoned clothes.

"Den, are you asleep?"

Marlene asks already knowing the answer, but giving Denis a hard shake anyway.

"Not tonight Sei."

Denis mutters under his breath causing Marlene to giggle.

"Den, wake up, I'm bored."

At this command Denis snorts himself awake.

The bedside light suddenly switches itself on and the siblings stare at each other for a moment.

"Nox."

Marlene extinguished the light from her wand and climbs under the covers at the foot of Denis' bed.

"So, things are back on with Seiya, then?"

Marlene asks with a smirk.

For as long as Marlene can remember things have been on and off between Denis and a witch called Seiya Amori.

The rift probably has something to do with the fact that each of them sleep with different people on a regular basis.

It wasn't that long ago that Denis had introduced the family to his fiancee, a haughty witch called Petronella Honeyball, who Marlene had instantly disliked, things between the couple had ended abruptly when Denis had suddenly moved in with Seiya.

After the break up Petronella had sent Denis at least one howler a week in retaliation.

"Who said that? Did I, did I say that?"

Denis' unusual cheerful expression is marred by an unusual frown.

"What do you want, anyway? Unlike you Marly, I still require my beauty sleep."

Denis says, as he leans across and opens the draw of his bedside table, retrieving two packets of Every Flavoured beans, he casually throws one box towards Marlene who catches it with her chasers arm.

"What and I don't?"

Marlene asks as she tares into her packet.

"You're a lost cause, everyone knows that I'm the best looking member of this family."

At this statement Marlene is the one to snort.

Placing one of the beans on her tongue, she's delighted and relieved to taste the tang of lime.

"Slugs,"

Denis' screws up his face in disgust.

"Why is it that I always end up with the thin end of the wedge?"

Denis complains bitterly as he discards his bean in a nearby waste paper bin and tries his luck with another.

"Pumpkin juice, well that's slightly better."

Marlene finds herself laughing again.

"Are you missing it?"

Denis' question takes Marlene by surprise.

"Missing what?"

She responds casually reaching for another sweet, which turns out to be the flavour of white chocolate.

"Life on the run, and don't try to fob me off with that travelling rubbish. It might work on Dad and Alfie, but we both know that you've never been the slightest bit interested in broadening your mind or experiencing other cultures. Remember that panic attack you had when we went on holiday to Spain?"

It wasn't a panic attack.

"It wasn't a panic attack! I was dehydrated."

Marlene defends herself weakly. 

Denis gives Marlene a knowing look.

"Really well you must have been dehydrated for most of the trip, I've never seen anyone complain so much. You only cheered up when that Spannish witch,"

"Thank you."

Marlene cuts Denis off before he has a chance to say 'kissed her'.

Her first kiss was from a witch called Paloma.

"I don't miss it, not really."

Suddenly Marlene's not sure if she's referring to her life spent cooped up with most of The Order or kissing in general.

"It's bad in St Mungo's."

Denis says.

"Alistor Moody lost an eye the other day. It's just lucky for him that he's got one of those faces that can carry off a good bit of maiming."

At this Marlene practically chokes with hysterics, before she suddenly recalls the sight of Mary splinched.

"Dorcus Meadowes is dead."

She says glumly.

Neither of them say it, but Marlene know their both thinking of their Mum and Rory.

"Do you want to join The Order?"

Marlene asks out of the blue.

Despite the fact that Denis gives every impression of being a Dandy from the 18th century he is in fact a great wizard.

"Rotten strawberries."

Is Denis' reply.

Marlene's dark eyes widen.

"Oh sorry, was that a serious question? Are you asking me to join your little gang?"

"It's Dumbledore's gang, actually."

Marlene counters.

"And it's not small, there's at least twenty or so of us."

"Those odds sound charming."

Denis muses.

Marlene shifts her position so that she's now lying in the space next to Denis.

"So I'll be number twenty-ish and something then, shall I?"

Marlene shrugs her shoulders in confusion, her eyelids suddenly feeling heavy.

"Is that a yes, only it's hard to understand you when you talk."

Marlene grins.

"Will people know that we're related?"

Denis enquires.

"Probably, since we went to school with most of them."

Marlene watches Denis' profile as he appears to think things over.

"That's a risk I'll have to take."

And just like that Denis McKinnon joins The Order of The Phoenix.

The light turns off.

"Don't snore."

Marlene warns.

"I am affronted by your accusation, I have never snored in my life and I can wrangle at least ten people to confirm that fact."

Marlene has stopped listening and is now fast asleep.

Denis presses a light kiss on his sister's temple and settles down under the duvet next to her.


	11. Cravats At Dawn

Denis leaves behind the sleeping form of his younger sister, Marlene as he reaches for his wand and slips out of his old bedroom.

Gingerly he makes his way down the stairs and into the large family kitchen, which is miserably empty.

Ordinary the McKinnon family kitchen is a hive of activity with his Mum managing to order them all about while at the same time managing to cook a spectacular breakfast, and his Dad reading aloud from The Daily Prophet and giving them a running commentary on the inner workings of The Ministry, but this morning it's just quiet.

It's only the ghosts of the bustle and happy laughter that remain to keep him company as he stands in the gloom.

Denis taps the nearby kettle with his wand and while he waits for it to boil, he collects his Mum's Tawney Owl, Nimueh, from the flagstoned utility room.

Resting heavily on his arm Nimueh gives him a friendly nip for his troubles.

Denis scribbles a quick note for his girlfriend Sei, which essentially amounts to 'Don't come here, also I love you', as he's not sure his brother Alfie would be able to cope with the sight of their dysfunctional version of domestic bliss, so soon after bidding farewell to Queenie and his unborn child.

As he opens the back door to let Nimueh fly free Denis spots a familiar sight hovering high in the sky above the house.

Alfie is on his broomstick.

The owl takes flight, and leaving the door open Denis returns to his tea making task.

He pulls two cups from a nearby cupboard, his favourite, which has a picture of a sheep on it, and one for Alfie too.

Once the tea is successfully brewed, Denis waves his wand and the two cups follow his out of the kitchen.

In the garden Denis is chilled to the bone by a blast of autumnal air as he retrieves a broomstick, his younger brother Rory's, from the shed at the bottom of the garden.

Four racing brooms for the four McKinnon children.

Excluding Rory who'd always had a more annoying academic bent, Denis, Marlene and Alfie had all played Quidditch for their respective houses.

Two chasers and a beater, Denis had been the beater.

Denis mounts his broom and the two steaming cups follow him up into the misty morning sky.

"Hallo, I thought you may have been in need of liquid refreshment."

Denis says as he joins Alfie in the sky.

He tries not to notice that Alfie has clearly been crying.

Alfie says nothing, as he accepts the cup of tea.

Denis shifts his weight on Rory's underused broom.

"I've forgotten how bloody uncomfortable these things are."

He admits trying to illicit some response from Alfie.

"It's because you've got such a boney arse."

Alfie finally speaks.

Denis thinks about his bum for a moment and decides that it's not boney, he's about to tell Alfie so, when his brother speaks again.

"Are you actually wearing a cravat at 6 o'clock in the morning?"

Alfie asks with a the ghost of a faint smile on his face.

Lifting both his hands off the handle of Rory's broom Denis rests his hand lightly against his cravat.

"Do you think that we've done the right thing?"

Alfie's question hangs in the air between them.

Denis reaches for his cup and takes a large gulp of tea, as he formulates an answer.

"Well, Queenie did write that pamphlet on the Sacred Twenty-Eight being woefully historically inaccurate and that most of them are just a bunch of half-bloods like us. And of course the ones that are actually fully paid up members of the pure blood club are so horrifically inbred that they can barely stand. Oh and Marly's inducted me into The Order, so on balance I think it was probably for the best."

Alfie's red rimmed eyes widen at that new nugget of information.

"What, come on, I'm everyone's favourite McKinnon brother."

Denis adds in his own defense, before remembering that he's sat on Rory's broom.

The air is shot through with a bark of dry laughter.

"That's right, when I'm signing autographs I often use your signature."

Alfie says.

Denis smiles behind his cup.

"Do you want a race?"

Alfie asks suddenly as he drains the dregs of his tea.

No, Denis thinks frankly because Alfie always wins.

"Alright, but no cheating, you have to close your eyes."

"Ho, is the great Denis Christopher McKinnon admitting that I, a lowly chaser for Puddlemere United, is a better racer than him."

Denis really should have seen that coming, he hates to give handsome, kind, athletic, Alfie a chance to feel positive about himself.

Finishing his own drink the two empty cups begin to drift downwards.

"Remember to keep your eyes closed."

"Whatever, cravat boy."


	12. Moody Moves In

"Who orders a Korma, seriously Moony, if you weren't so kinky in bed, I'd swear that you're the most vanilla person, I've ever met."

At this statement the one eyed Auror Alastor Moody almost chokes on his glass of firewhiskey.

Remus' face turns several shades of red as he stares down at his takeaway, while Sirius throws his head back with a loud bark of laughter.

The three of them are sat on the floor in Sirius' flat surrounded by bottles of Muggle beer and various enticing boxes from the local Indian take-away.

Sirius' kitchen doesn't expand beyond a poorly stocked mini fridge, and the take-aways in the local area know Sirius and Remus so well that they have their orders of by heart.

Korma, rainbow rice and onion bahjis for the tall, miserable looking one.

Whatever's new on the menu for the one with the hair.

And various flavoured naan breads.

Sirius catches Remus' eye and winks.

They have a plan, which translates as Sirius has had an idea and Remus just has to go with it.

They have to get rid of Moody.

Never have Sirius and Remus been more united.

They never asked for a flatmate, and 3 grown men trying to navigate what is essentially a bedsit is proving impossible.

Moody has taken the bed, because of his leg 'apparently', while Sirius and Remus have been condemned to a single sleeping bag on the floor.

They haven't had sex in days because they're never alone, or when they think they may possibly be alone or Moody is asleep, he barges into the room, or the magical eye fixes them with a hard stare.

Sirius' thinks that they should just power through, fuck Moody and his weird eye, but Remus can't cope.

"I, urgh, heard that there's been another raid on a Death Eater,"

Remus starts to speak, but Moody quickly interrupts him.

"It was a bunch of Slytherin students making trouble, but none of them had any links to Voldermort. I really hate children."

Moody mutters darkly.

"Don't we all."

Sirius grins.

"That reminds me, Dumbledore said that you're to accompany me on the next raid."

Moody says as he eyes Remus' half eaten Korma greedily.

"Both of us?"

Remus asks hopefully.

"No, just the wee man."

Moody jabs his index figure in Sirius's direction, who appears to puff up.

"Dumbledore's got other work for you."

Moody's magical eye glares at Remus.

Remus opens his mouth and then closes it immediately having no idea what to say next.

"There's a werewolf encampment been spotted in the Forest of Deane. Dumbledore wants you to make contact with them and see if any of them are interested in joining the fight."

Other werewolves, Remus' mouth immediately runs dry at the prospect, because he's never actually met another of his kind before.

Remus glances at Sirius for support, but his gaze is evasive and hidden behind the curtain of his hair.

"Right, I'm turning in."

With a heavy groan Moody hauls himself up off the floor and shuffles of in the direction of the bed.

Remus waves his wand and the leftovers wrap themselves in clingfilm and leap into the fridge.

"Sirius."

Remus says softly, in the hopes of getting some response.

"You're not going."

Is Sirius' quick reply.

"But Dumbledore,"

Remus begins.

"I'm coming with you."

Sirius concludes.


	13. The Punk, The Yuppie and The Flower Child

Silently fascinated she turns the small piece of plastic first this way and then that as she studies the photograph intently.

"I thought that it might still move, despite the fact that's it's been taken by a Muggle camera."

She muses.

"Well it, doesn't."

The girl at her elbow sighs.

She continues to study the piece of plastic with interest, until finally she pipes up with another question.

"Is your middle name really, Joan?"

She asks in amazement.

"Only I've never met a Joan before, and Seraphina Joan sounds,"

Before she has a chance to finish Seraphina pulls the Muggle driving licence out of her hand and back into the confines of her bag.

With nothing left to occupy her hands, she takes to drumming her nails across the dirty table top, until finally Dirk Cresswell appears and the atmosphere lifts.

"How are my two favourite girls?"

Dirk asks in his usual South London drawl.

She notices that he's wearing a gold ring on every finger now, such are the perks of working in the Goblin Liaisons Office.

"One flat white love, no sugar."

Dirk tells a disappointed looking waitress.

"Bad for the teeth."

He grins exposing two new shiny gold teeth.

"I hope those aren't permanent?"

Seraphina comments with a frown, as Dirk hauls himself into an empty chair.

"Why, will you go off me if they are?"

Dirk asks with a playful wink.

He then turns to her and asks.

"Emmeline, you'll still fancy me won't you?"

At this Emmeline Vance laughs.

"I'll try, although you are missing some key attributes."

"Tits, why must it always be about the tits!"

Dirk's words earn him a scandalous look from the waitress who brings over his drink.

As soon as the waitress is gone Seraphina pipes up.

"I hearby call this extraordinary meeting of US, to discuss the following."

Emmeline watches as Seraphina produces a scrap of paper and rests it on the table between Dirk and herself.

"Bollocks."

Dirk explodes after a moment of reading.

Emmeline however keeps her own council.

"It's a trap."

Dirk continues.

"Why would Remus what to entrap me of all people?"

Seraphina snaps back.

Emmeline watches it silence as Dirk's jealousy gets the better of him.

"I dunno, Phina, because he's shagging a Black? Because he's in a cult? Who the fuck cares?"

"For the last time, Remus is not in a cult."

Dirk snorts at this.

"Oh yeah, well why the fuck was he always so weird at school then?"

Because Remus Lupin is a werewolf, Emmeline keeps this thought to herself.

She wonders why neither of her friends have noticed, and then she remembers that Seraphina is a Gryffindor, and that Dirk is well, Dirk.

"I think Dirk may have a point."

Emmeline says as she finally joins the conversation.

"See, there I told you he was in a cult."

Dirk crows triumphantly.

However the defeated look on Seraphina's face causes Emmeline to add quickly.

"About the trap, not the cult. The cult thing is barmy."

At this Seraphina's expression lifts, while Dirk's darkens.

"Let's be honest, Lupin never showed the slightest awareness that you even existed at school, so why is he searching you out now, to join this?"

Even here, even now surrounded by Muggles, Emmeline doesn't feel that it's prudent to mention the name of The Order of the Phoenix outloud.

"He said the fact that I'm an animegus would be useful."

"You can turn into a fucking blackbird Phina, I'm sure in a fight that would be really useful, you can peck them to death with your tiny, useless beak."

Dirk has gone to far this time, and even he appears to notice it, as Seraphina leaps up from her chair and attempts to leave the pair in what Emmeline believes is genuine outrage.

"Phina, come on, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that, I love your beak."

Dirk is up out of his seat and pleading with Seraphina to return to their table, with the eyes of the cafe's patrons upon them.

They must make an odd trio, the black punk, the city trader and the boho.

"Come on, you never listen to me, why start now? Come and sit down."

Dirk takes both of Seraphina's hands in his own and slowly coaxes her back in the direction of their table.

It isn't long until the three of them are sat together again.

"Do you really think that it's a trap?"

Seraphina addresses her directly, ignoring Dirk.

"Well, perhaps, but it also happens that you're not the only one who has been approached."

Emmeline thinks back to her odd conversation with Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"Christ, just keep out of it both of you. This isn't a war any of us need to fight."

Dirk frowns 

"I would have thought that as a Muggleborn,"

Emmeline begins, but Dirk cuts her off.

"Dumbledore should pull his bloody finger out, then, before anymore of my lot turn up dead. Did you hear about Dorcus Meadowes? Some Muggle dog walkers found her body."

At this the trio slip into silence.

Emmeline had known little about Dorcus Meadowes beyond the fact that she had been in the year above at Hogwarts, a Gryffindor and had laid claim to an extraordinarily annoying sounding laugh, even so, it was hard to think of Dorcus as being dead.

"None of us asked for this war."

Dirk says with an usually serious tone voice

Emmeline and Seraphina both reach across the table and take each of his hands in their own.

"Whatever happens, we'll look after each other."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my head Emmeline looks like Jessica Sula, and Seraphina is a young Kate Winslet, but you of course can imagine them in any way that you like.  
> Dirk Creswell is a young Ricky Wilson, because of canon.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * A [Restricted Work] by [meimeimei](https://archiveofourown.org/users/meimeimei/pseuds/meimeimei) Log in to view. 




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